Policeman&#39;s club.



.No'. 670,141. p v Patentddfiar. 19, I901.

w; 0. SHEPARD. Poucem'ma's CLUB.

\Application filed Nov. 20,- 1900.)

(No Model.)

Usurnn Sra'rns PnrnNr FFICE.

WILLIAM OTIS SHEPARD, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.

POLICEIVEANS CLUB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,141, dated March'19, 1901.

Application filed November 20 1900. Serial No. 37,156. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LWILLIAM OTIS SHEPARD, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Camden, in the county of Camden and State of NewJersey, have invented a new and useful matically ignited, so that it maybe instantly brought into use.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of apolicemans club. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view illustrating thearrangement of the parts when the torch is in use. Fig. 3 is a sectionalview of the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view, the parts beingarranged as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of theigniting mechanism. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the slide,the curved matchengaging piece or plate being removed.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

1 designates a policemans club provided at one end with a handle 2 andhaving a longitudinal bore 3 at its other end receiving a tube 1, whichforms a socket for a coiled spring 5. The coiled spring 5, which has itsinner end bearing against the inner end of the socket, is provided atits outer end with a suitable disk or head 6 and is adapted to force atorch or candle 7 outward to cause the same to project through anopening 8 of a plate or cover 9 of a casing 10 and to advance the saidcandle or torch as it is consumed. The handle 2 of the club is providedwith a suitable whistle 11, which may be of any ordinary construction.

The casing 10, which is seated in a suitable recess 12 of the outer endof the club, is oblong and is provided in its bottom with a circularopening 13, which registers with the socket of the club and with theopening 8 of the hinged plat-e orcover. The plate or cover, which ispivoted at 14 at one end, is provided at opposite sides with parallellongitudinal tubes 15, forming guides for rods or tubes 16 of a slide 17and receiving coiled springs 18, which are interposed between the innerends of the rods or tubes 16 and the inner ends of the guiding-tubes 15.The coiled springs are adapt-ed to throw the slide outward to carry aroughened surface 19 of a match-engaging piece 20, which is fixed to theslide; but any other suitable surface may be provided, if desired. Thematch 21 is arranged at the outer end of the torch in contact with thematchengaging plate 20, which is preferably curved in cross-section, asshown, and which is perforated at intervals to provide projecting edgesforengaging the match. The slide consists of a plate 22, provided with acurved end piece 23, extending laterally beyond the plate and having theside tubes 16 secured to it. The plate is provided at its inner end witha curved lug or enlargement 24, forming a seat for the inner end of thematch-engaging plate 20 and adapted to engage a pair of projections 25,extending from the inner ends of the guide-tubes 15 and adapted tosupport the slide and force it into engagement with a catch 26, wherebyit is held retracted against the action of the coiled springs 18. Thetubes are provided at their outer ends with projecting lugs 28, formedby screws, and serving as stops to engage the curved lug 24 of the slideto retain the sliding tubes or rods 16 in the guide-tubes 15. The catch26 consists of a fiat spring secured at one end to the inner face of thehinged plate or cover of the casing and provided at its other end with astern 29,extending through the hinged plate or cover of the casing andhaving a head adapted to be engaged by the finger-nail of theoperator,whereby the spring may be readily disengaged from the slide toallow the latter to be thrown outward by the coiled springs 18. Theslide is provided at the inner end of the plate 22 with an opening 30,adapted to receive the catch 26 and forming a shoulder to abut againstthe same.

The screws 28, which form the projections or lugs at the outer ends ofthe guide-tube 15, extend through a cross bar or piece 31, arranged atthe outer ends of the said guidetube 15, as clearly illustrated in Fig.5 of the accompanying drawings.

The bore or socket of the club maybe of a length to receive severalcandles or torches, which may be successively fed outward, so that afterone has been consumed or partially consumed it may be thrown away andanother will be in position for ignition, and these candies or torchesmay be constructed in any suitable manner and of any desired material.WVhen the parts are arranged as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, the deviceis ready for use, and the candle or torch may be instantly ignited bydisengaging the catch from the inner end of the slide. As soon as thecatch is released the coiled springs, which are housed within thetubular guides 15, throw the slide outward and draw the roughenedmatchengaging surface across the match, striking the latter and ignitingthe candle or torch. The match, which is designed to have acomparatively short stick or shank, will be entirely consumed by thecandle. This operation may be instantly performed, and it will beapparent that the construction is exceedingly simple and inexpensive andmay be readily applied to a policemans club and that it ohviates thenecessity of carrying matches and a lamp. The casing, which is disposedtransversely of the socket, is provided at its front end with catches32, arranged to engage the hinged plate or cover, near the free endthereof, and consisting of a strip of resilient material arranged at theinner faces of the sides and bottom of the casing, as clearly shown inFig. 5.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, the combinationof a club or analogous object provided with asocket, acandle or torcharranged in the socket and provided at its outer end with a match, aslide mounted on the club or body and arranged to engage the match forlighting the candle or torch, a spring for actuating the slide, andmeans for lockingand releasing the latter, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a club havinga socket, a spring arranged within the socket and adapted to feed acandle or torch outward, a springactuated slide mounted on the club forengaging a match for lighting the torch or candle, and means for lockingand for releasing the slide, substantially as described.

3. In adevice of the class described, the combination of a club having asocket extending longitudinally of it, a candle or torch arranged withinthe socket and provided at its outer end with a match, atransverselymovable spring-actuated slide mounted on the club andengaging the match and means for forcing the candle or torch outward,substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a club having a socket for the reception of a candle ortorch, a casing mounted on the club and having an opening through whichthe candle or torch may project, and a spring-actuated slide arranged tocover the opening and provided with means for striking a match,substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a club havinga socket for the reception of a candle or torch, a casing mounted on theclub and provided with a hinged plate or cover, and a spring-actuatedslide mounted on the plate or cover and pro; vided with means forengaging a match to ignite the torch, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a clubhavingasocket for the reception of the candle or torch, a casingdisposed transversely of the socket at the outer end thereof and havinga hinged plate or cover and provided with an openingthrough which thecandle or torch may project, anda spring-actuated slide mounted on thehinged section or plate and arranged to normally cover the said openingto retain the candle or torch entirely within the socket and providedwith means for engaging a match, substantially as described.

7. Ina device of the class described, the combination of a clubhavingasocket for the reception of a candle or torch, atransverselydisposed casing provided at its bottom with an opening andhaving a hinged coveror plate with a corresponding opening, a catcharranged to hold the plate or cover in its closed position, aspring-actuated slide guided on the hinged plate or cover and providedwith means for engaging a match, and a catch arranged to hold the slidein its retracted position and adapted to be disengaged from the same topermit the slide to be thrown outward, substan tially as described.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plateprovided with guidetubes, a slide having tubes or rods telescoping intothe guide-tubes, springs housed with in the guide-tubes for actuatingthe slide, and a catch mounted on the plate and arranged to engage theslide,- substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plateprovided at opposite sides with guide-tubes, aslide having tubes or rodstelescoping into the guide-tubes, springs housed within the guide-tubesfor actuating the slide, a catch mounted on the plate and arranged toengage the slide to hold the same in its retracted position, lugslocated adjacent to the catch to hold the slide against the same, andmeans for limiting the outward movement of the slide, substantially asdescribed.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casinghaving a hinged plate or cover, guide-tubes arranged at opposite sidesof the hinged plate or cover, lugs located at the inner and outer endsof the my own I have hereto affixed my signature in guide-tubes, a slidehaving tubes or rods telethe presence of two witnesses.

scopin into the 'uide-tnbes said slide bein provided with a ing orfianig'e to engage a; WILLIAM OTIS SHEPARD 5 said lugs, and amatch-engaging piece carried Witnesses:

by the slide, substantially as described. ELWIN D. STEEN, In testimonythat I claim the foregoing as THOS. J. WOOD.

